The Hidden Cost of Complexity: Why Simplicity Wins Every Time

The Week That Tested and Taught Us

This week was one of the most demanding yet deeply rewarding weeks for me and my team.

We’ve been working on an engineering platform designed to help organizations transform their operations and maintenance culture, and our Minimum Viable Product (MVP) is almost ready.

If you’ve ever been involved in developing a technical product, you’ll understand how intense it can be.
From feature enablement to testing, debugging, stress testing, and managing all the technical complexities behind the scenes, it’s a lot.

Yet, amidst all that activity, the biggest win this week wasn’t about the product’s progress.
It was about the shift in how we approached solving the problem, a shift that has quietly but profoundly redefined our team’s productivity.

From Solving Problems to Creating Value

This isn’t my first time building an engineering software product.
But this one feels different, not because of the technology stack or the innovation behind it, but because of the mindset guiding the process.

For years, I approached engineering challenges with the belief that the goal was to solve complex problems.
That’s what engineers are trained to do: diagnose, design, and deliver.

But after years in coaching and studying high performance, I began to see that productivity and impact aren’t just about solving problems; they’re about solving the right problems, in the simplest way possible.

Before Coaching vs. After Coaching

Coaching changed the lens through which I view work, leadership, and productivity.

Here’s what shifted for me—and what I believe can shift for anyone, regardless of your field:

• Before: I solved problems because I believed I could.
  Now: I solve problems because I know people need the solutions.

That change—from capability to purpose—is where productivity truly begins. It’s no longer about proving competence; it’s about delivering relevance.

• Before: I built complex systems to demonstrate skill and sophistication.
  Now: I prioritize simplicity because that’s what users crave.

People want tools that make life easier, not harder. Productivity research calls this cognitive ease—when solutions are simple, they’re more likely to be adopted, sustained, and appreciated.

• Before: I wanted big budgets and perfect plans before taking action.
  Now: I start small, engage early, learn continuously, and keep improving.

This iterative approach, popularized through the Lean Startup methodology, has accelerated our development and deepened team engagement. We build, test, learn, and evolve instead of waiting for perfect conditions that rarely exist.

The Paradox of Productivity

In my years of working with teams and leaders, one truth has stood out:

True productivity isn’t about doing more; it’s about doing what matters, in ways that create flow and progress.
Complexity is often the enemy of execution.

When we chase perfection, we delay momentum. When we chase progress, we build confidence and adaptability.

This mindset shift has been deeply freeing for our team. Instead of trying to prove how much we know, we now focus on how much value we can create. That’s a different energy—one driven by purpose, not pressure.

This Applies to Everyone

You don’t have to be an engineer to live this principle.

Whether you’re a doctor, freelancer, graphic designer, video editor, accountant, or CEO, the principle is the same.
Your productivity increases not when you do more, but when you do what truly matters, with focus, simplicity, and feedback.

As Adam Grant once said, “Simplicity is the ultimate sophistication in design and in decision-making.”
Every improvement we make should make life easier, not harder, for the people it serves.

Progress Over Perfection

So as I reflect on this week, on all the code written, tests run, and feedback loops engaged, the biggest takeaway isn’t a technical one.

It’s this:

When we embrace simplicity over complexity, progress over perfection, and solutions over ego, we don’t just build better products. We build better teams, better habits, and ultimately, better results.

Final Thought

The next time you’re working on something challenging, ask yourself:

• Am I solving this because I can, or because it truly matters?

• Am I aiming for perfection, or am I making consistent progress?

• Am I building complexity, or am I creating clarity?

Those three questions can transform the way you work and the way you lead.

Because at the end of the day, productivity isn’t about how much you do; it’s about how effectively your work moves you and others forward.